This is a bit of a let-down, but hardly surprising given the history of the local Indian Lion native species conservation breeding program. There is very little rationale involved in India in conservation breeding and a lot is lost in politics and a mind-boggling bureacracy sadly ...! Given ZSL will set up a program both ex situ at Sakkarbaug - new lion exhibitry (that is a real pain ... now) - as well as in situ advice on lion management at Gir and beyond, I still have a vague yet sincere hope that the 1.1 addiotional lions may yet materialise at a later date.
I see that the baby gorilla born at London Zoo at the end of November has now been sexed and given a name. The baby is a male and his name is Gernot. Have a look on You tube as his half sister, Alika gets to know him
I think they knew almost straight away with this one that it was a male. Gernot- that's a funny name isn't it?... From the videos I've seen, Effie seems a very competent mother with this, her third baby.
If you go on you tube there is a short clip of the recently born hunting dog puppies. There are 6 males and 5 females, all doing well. I managed to get a glimpse of them earlier this week as they out and about in the paddock
@Bele, it was not whether at all possible, but more a question of the numbers and what was intended / planned by ZSL and sound from an EEP management perspective. In the latter case, decisions in India over animal transfers are almost never done with any conservation breeding perspectives in mind. It is more like you provide me elephants, I supply you grouse and ornamental pheasants ... Given that Sakkarbaug Zoo has some 30 lions of wild provenance, of which less than 10 are used for breeding locally, ... the desperate import needs of the very successful EEP (also in relation to the current Indian Zoo breeding program) ... it is small tuppence what we get out of India (both ZSL, Praha Zoo and Aalborg/Rotterdam ...).
All the more reason to move the pack to Whipsnade I feel - the ZSL London enclosure is nowhere near big enough for a group that size once the pups get bigger!
Unless, of course, they decide to create a single-sex satellite pack at Whipsnade, much like what they've done with the cast-offs of meerkat and otter. I hope not. As stated, the London enclosure is, IMO, too small for African hunting dogs Full-Stop!
Baby Mantled Geureza: Baby monkey makes it a white Christmas at ZSL London Zoo | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
To Panthera1981...Astounding isnt it that Africa Wild Dogs have prospered in captivity considering all those tiny enclosures they have been kept in?What would be large enough then? The county of Rutland? Perhaps Suffolk? Aye,lets get them out of central London and put a few Guinea Pigs in the enclosure..mind you,they need quite a bit of space as well!
According to Zootierliste, a male Red Duiker was shipped to London Zoo from Dortmund Zoo. I have no idea when. Is this animal already on Display, and if yes, where ?
What if they got rid of/moved the warthogs and integrated that into the current wild dogs enclosure.? I think the enclosure would struggle to hold the current pack when the 11 pups reach adulthood but the current adults were obviously happy enough in the enclosure to produce a healthy litter.
I believe that there are two red duiker at London Zoo; they are not currently on exhibit. I think the intention is for them to share the same paddock as the okapi.
Land of the Lions I've added some photos of Land of the Lions to the gallery. Quite a few, but not brilliant quality.
Personally I think Bush Dog when imagining a social canid for London Zoo. I think a decent sized pack of Painted Dog would be best off at Whipsnade - as a complement to Wolves, not a replacement!
What is the current expected completion date for Land of the Lions? Privately, I would also feel / think that painted dogs would better suit Whipsnade's wildlands ..., however a projected exhibit with bush dogs (or any other canid) ... how would that sit with the current Masterplan for ZSL/London Regent's Park site?
I believe that the new Land of Lions exhibit at London Zoo will be opened by Easter 2016, so any time between 23 March and 28 March. I haven't seen an actual confirmed date, but Spring / Easter is mentioned in publicity
